Kalinga Ancient Trade Routes

Dhamra

Strongly Supported Scholars say

Dhamra is a port where two big rivers, the Brahmani and the Baitarani, join and flow into the sea. A government order made it an official port in 1858, even though a sandbank at its mouth made the entrance tricky.

Dhamra is a port where two big rivers, the Brahmani and the Baitarani, join and flow out to sea. A government order made it an official port in 1858. Old records rank it right after Balasore among Odisha’s harbours. [Hunter, 1872, vol. ii, Appendix IV, pp. 107-108]

A sandbank at the river mouth made the entrance tricky. Even so, ships as deep as 18 feet could pass through safely. Later, a nearby port called Chandbali took over most of Dhamra’s trade. [District Gazetteers (Cuttack, Puri, Ganjam, Balasore), British-era editions, n.d., O’Malley, Bengal District Gazetteers: Balasore (1907), p. 8]

For scholars

No source used here describes Dhamra before the 1858 order. So only the British period is tagged for this entry. River trade at this river mouth before that time is possible, but unverified. Neither record gives a printed coordinate for the port. Its position is read off a modern map, at the Dhamra river mouth in Bhadrak district. [Hunter, 1872, vol. ii, Appendix IV, pp. 107-108; District Gazetteers (Cuttack, Puri, Ganjam, Balasore), British-era editions, n.d., O’Malley, Bengal District Gazetteers: Balasore (1907), p. 8]

Facts

Coordinates
20.79°, 86.95°
[Natural Earth, 1, n.d.]
  1. *Natural Earth, 1:50m Physical and Cultural Vectors*. n.d. public domain
Modern name
Dhamra, Bhadrak district, Odisha
Region
kalinga

Routes through Dhamra

  • Dhamra to Chandbali

    Dhamra was the older port on this river mouth, made official in 1858. Chandbali grew up a little further inland and took over most of Dhamra's trade.

    [Hunter, 1872, vol. ii, Appendix IV, pp. 107-108]; [District Gazetteers (Cuttack, Puri, Ganjam, Balasore), British-era editions, n.d., O'Malley, Bengal District Gazetteers: Balasore (1907), p. 8]
    1. William Wilson Hunter. *Orissa: Or the Vicissitudes of an Indian Province under Native and British Rule*. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1872. public domain , vol. ii, Appendix IV, pp. 107-108 (The Dhamra estuary 'was declared a port by Government Notification, No. 877, of the 18th May 1858 ... As a port for native shippers, it ranks next to that of Balasor among the Orissa harbours.')
    2. *District Gazetteers (Cuttack, Puri, Ganjam, Balasore), British-era editions*. n.d. public domain , O'Malley, Bengal District Gazetteers: Balasore (1907), p. 8 ('The Dhamra ... is a fine estuary formed by the junction of the Brahmani and Baitarani rivers.' 'Chandbali ... absorbed the trade of the old port of Dhamra.')
Scholar notes

Dhamra's trade was later absorbed by Chandbali, 20 miles further up the same estuary (Balasore Gazetteer 1907, p. 8), which is why this atlas's 'chandbali' entry calls Dhamra the older port. No source read here documents Dhamra before the 1858 notification, so only the British period is tagged; earlier river trade at this mouth is plausible but unverified. Neither gazetteer prints a coordinate for the port itself; position is read off a modern map at the Dhamra river mouth, Bhadrak district.

  1. William Wilson Hunter. *Orissa: Or the Vicissitudes of an Indian Province under Native and British Rule*. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1872. public domain , vol. ii, Appendix IV, pp. 107-108 (The Dhamra estuary 'was declared a port by Government Notification, No. 877, of the 18th May 1858 ... it ranks next to that of Balasor among the Orissa harbours.' Same quote already used for 'chandbali', cited here as it describes Dhamra itself, before Chandbali existed.)
  2. *District Gazetteers (Cuttack, Puri, Ganjam, Balasore), British-era editions*. n.d. public domain , O'Malley, Bengal District Gazetteers: Balasore (1907), p. 8 ('The Dhamra ... is a fine estuary formed by the junction of the Brahmani and Baitarani rivers.' 'A dangerous bar ... vessels drawing 18 feet can pass in with safety.' 'Chandbali ... absorbed the trade of the old port of Dhamra'. From archive.org OCR, PARI.bengal-district-gazetteers-balasore.)